Day two went pretty much as one might expect. Leslie and I were on a mission to see as much as we could, and so a fairly early morning was had by all. Australians Dave and Lee had come in late – or should I say very early – and so they remained behind, but Leslie, Alistair, German David, and I all got out of bed at around 8:30 to get ready. It was also David’s last morning in Berlin, so he was required to check out.
Instead of touring right away though, the four of us headed downstairs for some breakfast. I mentioned before that Wombat’s Hostel is awesome, but I must say it again: I loved that place. A good breakfast downstairs, a bar upstairs, and our room squished in the middle! What’s not to love? Also there were a lot of interesting young people milling about, so needless to say, I had a great time wherever I went in that building. After breakfast we started to make our way to Alexanderplatz. It’s not far from the hostel and along the way David would leave us to head towards his train. Alistair was supposed to be leading the way (he’d been there before), but at some point we realized that we were heading off in some random direction. I was ragged on... wasn’t I supposed to be the one that is good with directions? Well sure, if I had known that I was supposed to direct! Ha-ha! Leslie simply remarked that she sucked with directions (ask her about her first day alone in Koln) and that she was going to depend on us. Have to love a girl that’s honest.
David left us at some point, and 10 minutes, and a few map consultations later, the remaining three of us reached the platz. I was so excited to finally get there. It’s been on my list for years now. There I saw the world 360 degree clock, but was disappointed to see that neither Toronto nor Ottawa were on it. Montreal was, although I’m a little confused why even our capital wasn’t there! The Aussie found his home Perth on the other side. From there we took the subway (U-Bahn) to an area south-east of us: Checkpoint Charlie. It was unbelievable finally seeing something I’ve learned so much about. A touristy area, I know, but wow! We crossed over there from the east into the west, something we wouldn’t have been allowed to do a little while in the past. I recall my uncle telling me of his travels in which he moved from west to east, and how it still felt odd after all this time since the wall, but I got to do the opposite. The difference between the two certainly isn’t as pronounced as it once was, but one can see a slight difference still.
From there we took a short walk to the Jewish Museum of Berlin, and I really do not have words to express how very grateful I am to have had the opportunity to visit. We spent 3 hours there, but even that was not enough. The amount of history there is intense, and while there is a lot to read, I found myself so swept up in it that I barely noticed the time. Leslie was enraptured even more so, and many a time Al and I would look back to see her still at the front of the room. And the architecture of that building! Oh words cannot express! I’ve had a great respect and love for architecture for a long time now, and I’ve known of this building for so many years, but to have actually seen it and been in it! I have great respect for Daniel Libeskind. He meant to design something that spoke of the three realities of Jewish life: Continuity with German history, Emigration from Germany, and the Holocaust. With voids intersecting the entire building and irregular windows placed in all different areas and directions, Libeskind has successfully created an eerily fascinating space. One especially memorable spot is the void filled with 10,000 coarse iron faces. Incredibly creepy and moving, Menashe Kadishman’s Shalechet installation is actually interactive. You are meant to walk across all of these faces in a symbolic gesture of giving the fallen back their voices.
Following this we thought it might be nice to lighten the mood by visiting the LEGO Museum. Up to now it had rained non-stop, and the forecast promised a never-ending supply. We hailed a taxi, took a short jaunt over, and then abandoned our plan. The LEGO Museum actually turned out to be quite expensive, so the three of us actually played with LEGO for a little bit in the atrium, and went to find food for our rumbling bellies. Pulling out the map there as we scarfed down panini, it was a group decision to push beyond how cold, wet, and tired we felt to see the Topography of Terror located at the old SS headquarters. Definitely worth it. I find the history behind the SS and the Gestapo incredibly fascinating, let alone the history behind the entire Second World War. The majority of the installation is outside under an open glass roof and against what remains of the SS building’s wall. It acts as a timeline, laying out the slow rise of the organization and the horrible things that they did to the people. The is also a portion of the installation inside of a giant, barren-looking building. Starting at one end inside, you can learn more specifically about the interior of the organizations, particularly about the people and the politics. All of it was very cool.
Finally, though, the sun had set, and exhaustion was taking hold, so we dragged ourselves to the nearest U-Bahn station, took it directly to our hostel, and went to dry off in our room. Following which Leslie and I went upstairs for a drink and some relaxed conversation, while Al caught up with his Aussie mates and headed out, although how he had the energy I know not. It turned into an earlier night for the most of us, though.
-Candles
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